Quarterman honored as oldest bishop

Honored in absentia as the oldest member of the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church, the Right Rev. George H. Quarterman, 95, continues his ministry.

This week he preached at a funeral service for a parishioner of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church.

He marked the 55th anniversary of his consecration as bishop in December and was commended by bishops of the Episcopal Church during their spring meeting this year at Camp Allen, near Navasota.

Retired Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwest Texas, he was ordained priest 70 years ago. He had served Oklahoma congregations for five years and had begun his first year as rector of St. Andrew's Church in Amarillo when the House of Bishops in 1946 elected him on the first ballot to head the Missionary District of North Texas.

He was consecrated bishop at St. Andrew's Church in Amarillo on Dec. 3, 1946, with Presiding Bishop Henry St. George Tucker, Bishop Goodrich Fenner of Kansas, and Bishop Thomas Casady of Oklahoma as chief consecrators.

During his 26 years as missionary bishop and later as Diocesan bishop, his 77,000-square-mile jurisdiction saw the founding of 17 new congregations, the establishment of a diocesan conference center north of Amarillo, the building of a university student center in Canyon, the funding of a conference center chapel for a companion diocese in Australia, and the raising of an endowment fund of $750,000 by 1946, which grew to about a million dollars by 1972, the year of his retirement.

His leadership and support led to the approval by the 1958 General Convention of the Episcopal Church of a petition from the missionary district seeking diocesan status as the new Diocese of Northwest Texas.

Assembled for their meeting earlier this month, bishops of the Episcopal Church commended him for his furthering the work and ministry of the church, saying, "We are inheritors of your dedication and devotion to Christ and his church."

The notification sent to Quarterman concludes, "We beg your prayers for us individually and as the House of Bishops as we seek to live out the vocation the Lord has given us all. We pray that your life and ministry will continue to be blessed and a blessing to all you meet."

All the bishops present at the spring retreat signed the letter.

Since his retirement Quarterman has served as "supply priest" as needed in the Diocese of Northwest Texas.

When he's not supplying, he and his wife, Billie, attend St. Andrew's Church in Amarillo.